The present invention relates to smoke detectors which are easily mounted on walls, are universally accessible and provide eye level user interface.
There are numerous smoke detectors on the market that must be mounted on ceilings in order to be effective for smoke detection.
However, a need exists for smoke detectors that are universally accessible and that can provide visual and audible alerts at eye level, precluding the need for high reaches or climbing for installation, maintenance or other interactions.
The graph shown in FIG. 16 indicates that death rates from residential fires increase with age. Older people suffer high residential fire death rates. In private homes, these older residents may be primarily responsible for installing and maintaining fire safety equipment.
Prior art products do not adequately meet the needs of older people. In fact, the products themselves account for safety hazards of their own, since the products call for climbing to ceiling levels in order to install, test and maintain the detectors. But, older people who cannot do those tasks either tend to ignore the needs for installation and for periodic testing and maintenance or have to hire outsiders, thereby incurring high expenses. The grasping and twisting movements required to open and close and install batteries in existing detectors are difficult for older people or people with other physical limitations.
Moreover, the acoustic properties of currently available alarms are not optimal for older people. Signals indicating low battery levels as well as smoke detection are difficult to hear and are not well comprehended by older people who may be suffering from reduced hearing capabilities or mental capacity.
The above problems are also relevant to populations other than the elderly. There is a need for user friendly and cost-effective smoke detectors. It is foreseeable that this device could satisfy the special access requirements of some handicapped or wheelchair-bound individuals, as well.
A need exists for an easily installable and universally accessible smoke detector that has an optimum user interface, that is cost effective and that is not intimidating to the expected users.